Hacker News: crtasm

New comment by crtasm in "GDID Windows – Cut the tracker that follows you even under VPN"

crtasm — Sat, 25 Jul 2026 17:29:06 +0000

They make the default web browser on Windows, and that sends your browsing data if you don't disable its telemetry.

See https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48921595

New comment by crtasm in "Publishers consider opting out of Google as search traffic declines"

crtasm — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 13:28:39 +0000

There's lots of apps that do TOTP, if that's what you're using it for.

New comment by crtasm in "AliExpress hit with record $629M fine for counterfeit and illegal goods"

crtasm — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:45:32 +0000

GP appears to be claiming people can tell whether a counterfeit is unsafe. I'm curious how they think that's possible.

New comment by crtasm in "AliExpress hit with record $629M fine for counterfeit and illegal goods"

crtasm — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:32:46 +0000

How do you know the fake product is safe though?

New comment by crtasm in "I'm Done with Mullvad"

crtasm — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 11:20:58 +0000

Not in the news I've been reading - perhaps your news sources deserve a more critical evaluation?

New comment by crtasm in "Hardcore IndieWeb: Run your own website 100% independently for only $0.01/day"

crtasm — Sun, 19 Jul 2026 12:49:44 +0000

You can see it in action by visiting e.g. https://www.qubes-os.org/ in tor browser

New comment by crtasm in "Open Book Touch: open-source e-reader"

crtasm — Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:05:14 +0000

I'd like to see some corrections to the matrix, Kobo can run custom code and does not require an account. Also "DRM: yes" feels misleading - you can read DRM-free files on one just fine.

New comment by crtasm in "Microsoft Confirms Windows GDID Device Identifier That Cannot Be Disabled"

crtasm — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:08:19 +0000

Windows 10 also features the GDID, telemetry and Edge history syncing.

New comment by crtasm in "Microsoft Confirms Windows GDID Device Identifier That Cannot Be Disabled"

crtasm — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:04:06 +0000

>A Global Device ID (GDID) is a permanent, unique digital fingerprint that Microsoft automatically assigns to your computer when you install Windows or sign into a Microsoft account.

Note the "or"

I own a Windows 10 machine which has never signed into a Microsoft account. It still has a GDID in the registry.

New comment by crtasm in "Duskers, the scary command line game, is getting a sequel"

crtasm — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 20:05:01 +0000

Actual title: Misfits Attic Announces Duskers 2.0 Funded By Stray Signal

New comment by crtasm in "Microsoft Confirms Windows GDID Device Identifier That Cannot Be Disabled"

crtasm — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:57:02 +0000

The ID is generated even if you only create a local user account. I don't know to what extent that affects tracking/telemetry though.

New comment by crtasm in "Microsoft Confirms Windows GDID Device Identifier That Cannot Be Disabled"

crtasm — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 14:41:16 +0000

Edge seems likely. Its settings include:

>Send optional diagnostic data to improve Microsoft products [Includes how you use the browser, websites you visit, and enhanced error reporting. Determined by your Windows diagnostic data setting]

>Allow Microsoft to save your browsing activity including history, usage, favourites, web content, and other browsing data to personalise and improve Microsoft Edge and Microsoft services like ads, search, shopping, news, and Copilot [Includes your history, usage, favourites, web content and other browsing data]

New comment by crtasm in "Filmgrab: Films A-Z"

crtasm — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 13:22:38 +0000

The About page might be a better submission

https://film-grab.com/about/

New comment by crtasm in "The console wars have been lost"

crtasm — Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:57:48 +0000

Even my Super Nintendo with Street Fighter II pack-in only included a single controller. Christmas day was fun but not as fun as it could have been.

New comment by crtasm in "Punk, or why I don't stream anymore"

crtasm — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:42:01 +0000

archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20101021072500/http://www.bsc.es...

New comment by crtasm in "Copy That Floppy – Cambridge guide for preserving data from fragile floppy disks"

crtasm — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:32:00 +0000

In case you hadn't heard, there's a sizable archive here https://archive.org/details/myspace_dragon_hoard_2010

and I see another collection mentioned on: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19569865

New comment by crtasm in "Microsoft Can Track Users via a Windows Device ID"

crtasm — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:31:31 +0000

This tells us nothing about whether non-Microsoft browsers are involved

New comment by crtasm in "Microsoft Can Track Users via a Windows Device ID"

crtasm — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:58:23 +0000

Or even Edge with these options turned off:

>Send optional diagnostic data to improve Microsoft products [Includes how you use the browser, websites you visit, and enhanced error reporting. Determined by your Windows diagnostic data setting]

New comment by crtasm in "Does average person understand that all disc media dies too?"

crtasm — Sat, 04 Jul 2026 17:56:40 +0000

I didn't need to do anything complicated last time I backed up a bluray, the software made it essentially "click this button then wait a while"

New comment by crtasm in "Tidal AI Policy"

crtasm — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 14:08:21 +0000

Maybe licensing existing tech, e.g. https://newsroom-deezer.com/2026/01/ai-generated-music-deeze...